When Michigan football plays Washington in its Big Ten matchup on Saturday, both teams will enter the game looking different from what they did in January in the 2023 national championship game.
The two teams had a combined 23 players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, meaning both had to reload completely. In addition, the Wolverines and Huskies each saw their head coaches, Jim Harbaugh and Kalen DeBoer, head to the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers and college football powerhouse Alabama, respectively.
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While Saturday's game will be hyped as the "rematch" for the national championship, many faces on the field and both sidelines will differ from those who started in Michigan's first national championship since 1997. The Huskies lost a huge percentage of their 2023 team, including quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and wide receivers Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan. Michigan lost 13 players to the NFL Draft, including their QB J.J. McCarthy and running back Blake Corum.
The conference matchup between No. 10 Michigan (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) vs. Washington (3-2, 1-1) is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Husky Stadium in Seattle. Even since the championship game, Washington has switched from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten.
Here's what you need to know about the NFL draftees from the 2023 national championship game between Michigan and Washington:
Michigan 2024 NFL draft picks
The Wolverines had just one player selected in the first round on Day 1 of the draft. However, the second day was much busier, with six players selected during rounds two and three. Finally, U-M saw six players selected on the final day of the draft.
- 1st round, Pick 10: Quarterback J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
- 2nd Round, Pick 49: Defensive lineman Kris Jenkins, Cincinnati Bengals
- 2nd Round, Pick 50: Defensive back Mike Sainristil, Washington Commanders
- 3rd Round, Pick 69: Linebacker Junior Colson, Los Angeles Chargers
- 3rd Round, Pick 84: Running back Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams
- 3rd Round, Pick 85: Wide receiver Roman Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers
- 3rd Round, Pick 86: Offensive lineman Zak Zinter, Cleveland Browns
- 4th Round, Pick 121: Tight end AJ Barner, Seattle Seahawks
- 5th Round, Pick 173: Offensive lineman Trevor Keegan, Philadelphia Eagles
- 7th Round, Pick 240: Linebacker Michael Barrett, Carolina Panthers
- 7th Round, Pick 250: Offensive lineman LaDarius Henderson, Houston Texans
- 7th Round, Pick 252: Defensive end Jaylen Harrell, Tennessee Titans
- 7th Round, Pick 253: Wide receiver Cornelius Johnson, Los Angeles Chargers
Washington 2024 NFL draft picks
Washington had a school-record tying three players selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, with Penix Jr. going No. 8 overall to the Atlanta Falcons. Four more players were selected on Day 2 in rounds two and three and three players were selected on the final day of the draft.
- 1st round, Pick 8: Quarterback Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
- 1st round, Pick 9: Wide receiver Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears
- 1st round, Pick 20: Offensive lineman Troy Fautanu, Pittsburgh Steelers
- 2nd Round, Pick 37: Wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk, New England Patriots
- 2nd Round, Pick 64: Offensive lineman Roger Rosengarten, Baltimore Ravens
- 3rd Round, Pick 75: Defensive end Bralen Trice, Chicago Bears
- 3rd Round, Pick 92: Wide receiver Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 5th Round, Pick 160: Linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio, Buffalo Bills
- 5th Round, Pick 161: Cornerback Dominique Hampton, Washington Commanders
- 7th Round, Pick 246: Tight end Devin Kulp, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Colleges with the most NFL draft picks in a single year
Michigan had 12 players drafted in the 2024 NFL draft, the fourth most in draft history . Only Georgia (15), Ohio State and LSU (14) have had more. The previous Michigan record for most players drafted came in 2017, with 11 players selected.
Washington tied its most-ever players selected in a single draft with 10 selections. The Huskies also had 10 players selected in the 1998 draft.
- 1. Georgia 15, 2022
- T-2.: Ohio State 14, 2004
- T-2.: LSU 14, 2020
- 4.: Michigan 13 , 2024
- T-5.: Alabama 12, 2018
- T-5.: Ohio State 12, 2016
- T-7. 8 teams tied for 11 players, including 2024 Texas
- T-15. 18 teams tied for 10 players, including 2024 Washington
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan, Washington rematch after having 23 players drafted in NFL Draft following NCG
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